Socialization In Mass Media

The term mass media includes television, newspapers, magazines, comic books, radio, movies, and video games. The impact of mass media on the society is more profound than it is given credit for. This may be because mass media has been embedded in our lives in such a manner that it is now considered a very natural and essential part of our lives, when in fact, it has been changing the way we socialize and interact with each other over the past few decades. This essay highlights the impacts of mass media on the way we socialize.

If we imagine life without mass media in this era, it may seem considerably less enjoyable however there will be a significant incline in one thing: socialization. In this era, people spend significantly more time consuming mass media as compared to interacting with friends and family. This decline in socialization is detrimental to the society in a number of ways as people are becoming more and more isolated from society. The foundation of our society is the structure formed by members of society through social relations. If these bonds are taken away, society will break apart. Considering the pace at which people are reducing their social interactions in favor of mass media, it is highly probable that a time will come when socialization will end entirely. In addition to mass media, social media is also responsible for providing people will a false sense of socialization. People engage in conversations over social media and keep each other updated about their lives, but engaging on social media is not and can never be the same as socializing physically. Recently, research has highlighted that people who socialize over social media are more vulnerable to getting symptoms of depression and feelings of loneliness.

Mass media has been highlighted to have similar impacts on mental health of individuals. Lack of social interactions due to mass media make an individual feel isolated and lonely which can also lead towards depression. Specific focus has been placed on the effect of television on the way children socialize. Television imparts a false sense of interaction to children which has a lasting influence on the way children interact in society.

It can be concluded that mass media has a significant impact on socialization and gradually it is eliminating social interactions from the society. Increasing consumption of mass media and the addition of social media to the fold has completely altered the way individuals interact with each other, and this change is having and will continue to have negative influence on the mental health of members of society.